title: Comparative efficacy of LEAP, TEACCH and non-model-specific special education programs for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders.
abstract: LEAP and TEACCH represent two comprehensive treatment models (CTMs) that have been widely used across several decades to educate young children with autism spectrum disorders. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare high fidelity LEAP (n = 22) and TEACCH (n = 25) classrooms to each other and a control condition (n = 28), in which teachers in high quality special education programs used non-model-specific practices. A total of 198 children were included in data analysis. Across conditions, children's performances improved over time. This study raises issues of the replication of effects for CTMs, and whether having access to a high quality special education program is as beneficial as access to a specific CTM.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2050 Bondurant Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA, brian_boyd@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: McBee
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alessandri
authors.forename: Anibal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sperry
authors.forename: Samuel L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Odom
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004519:Education, Special / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States